The Journal of Alfrederic Elmer Carlyle Bartholomew Desdemona III

A recap of all sessions including #7, recorded 05/01 to 7/10/2016.

Journal Entries

Well, I suppose it's time to start a meaningful journal of my travels.  Perhaps if I make it through all this nonsense I can use this as a warning to myself to not get into the entertainment business ever again.  Where to begin?

I suppose it all started when I met an individual by the name of Hogan Savage.  I should say the Professional Wrestler Hogan Savage.  Though not very professional, he is very entertaining. Through a series of what may ultimately be unfortunate events I deemed myself the manager of the “Wrassler,” to help him spread the word of Kord.


At least, that is my story.  Many others joined our venture and we decided to move town to town to promote the word of Kord.  If only things had gone as planned I may have been writing a success story of a lucky wizard that rode the fame of another to untold riches, though who knows?  Time will tell.

Our ill luck struck just as we were approaching the town of Greenest.  We happened upon a group of kobolds - terrible little creatures.  My allies seemed perturbed by whatever it was the little buggers were doing so they set to work fixing that mess.  I remember Hogan yelling something about Kord and kicking one of the small things so hard he killed it.  It was rather funny.

About that time, we noticed a dragon.  A blue dragon.  Quite beautiful. T hen I kind of haze out exactly what transpired next.  It was something about taking some villagers to the keep.  Though I don't understand why they wanted to go there.  The place was being attacked.

When we finally arrived at the keep things had settled down and I believe the dragon was gone as well.  At the keep, people were upset because someone had been kidnapped.  So, of course a few of the bleeding hearts in our little troupe decided we could help out the town and save whoever was missing.  Cry me a river.  Alas, we went anyway. I mean they did offer a nice sum of gold.

We followed the easily found trail of what appeared to be an army to their campsite.  Someone in our group found some cloaks that the towns attackers had been wearing so we could sneak in with a pretense of bringing a prisoner or two.  Luckily it worked - I was afraid I was going to have to abandon my new profession so soon.  The kidnapped person was soon found and we all left without too much of an incident so we traveled back to Greenest to collect our loot.

At the town we put on a show for the beleaguered residents and rested for a bit.  It was nice, but of course things always come up.  Someone then asked us to retrieve some dragon eggs from the encampment that we had just left.  Seriously, sometimes I wonder if people even think about efficiency.  It would have made much more sense to collect them when we were there the first time.

So, of course the helpful little people in our troupe, Shirley Lee and Teagan, agreed to help.  On our way there when we had bedded down for the night I got to witness something fun.  A hill giant happened upon us while we were sleeping.  By some gods good grace, our watch saw before he got too close.  That is when I saw the sign of coin...if we could successfully capture the giant, we could go town to town and have people pay us to watch Mr. Savage wrestle a real live hill giant.  Oh the possibilities.

It was truly great to witness Hogan bravely, perhaps stupidly, tell us to stay back as he charged the giant.  Everyone looked to me as if to ask, “Should we stay back?” I laugh now, I may have even laughed then when I said, “I want to see this.”  Then Hogan got hit.

It was bad, but he kept his feet.  Tough mouth-breather that he is he just kept on fighting.  He even disarmed that poor old giant.  It was a great memory.  We did kill it though.

We finally arrived at what I now know was a dragon cultist campsite and decided to try a different approach.  Talk to the guys outside and see if the dragon eggs are there.  Kuklak and Hogan decided to do the talking.  It almost went poorly, but luckily Hogan challenged two of the guards to a “Wrasslin'” match.  He took on two of them and won.  Though he didn't keep the gold.  I need to talk to him about this for future sake.

Afterwards, the guards didn't seem as on edge and Hogan found out the eggs were still in the cave.  Instead of us all going in it was decided that we would send the sneakiest amongst us into the cave after I turned them invisible.  Funnily enough it seemed Hogan could sneak the best even though you would never guess it by looking at him.  We also turned Teagans familiar invisible and sent it flying into the cave complex to map it out.  It was a bit boring waiting until all of that transpired, but Hogan returned with the eggs and I didn't lose my cash cow.  It was a delightfully successful mission.

Afterwards we headed back to Greenest only to find out that the person that wanted the eggs wasn't even there.  I really need to write a book on social etiquette when it pertains to dangerous business deals.  We found out we would need to travel all the way to Elturel just to get our money.

I was half tempted to just sell the eggs myself.  I'm sure they're worth more than what we were going to get.  Of course I couldn't do that though, people were watching.  Yet again we ventured on towards Eltruel with the eggs in tow.  That is when we started noticing boar tracks.  Big boar tracks.  I even saw the boar once, it was almost the size of a cow.

During one of the nights we were resting, a lone orc charged into our camp and began to attack.  We quickly set to work dispatching him and finally he yelled at me, “I'll get you one of these days Roland!”

I was at an utter loss - my name isn't Roland.  I don't even know a Roland.  As he was about to run away, Shirley killed him and I could ask no more questions.  He did have a magic sword on him though.  Shirley kept that.  Teagan kept the spear the orc carried as well.  It was made of silver.  I'm glad she did.

The next day in our journey, we ran across a lone individual coming from Eltruel who happened to be named Roland.  Kuklak didn't like the cut of his jib, but I didn't see any reason we should attack him.  I mean there were a lot of us and one of him.  He traveled on as did we.

That night while at camp, we were attacked again.  What is it with this group?  I mean, really?  Anyway, now the truth was known.  It was Roland.  He is or rather was a Were-Boar.  This was too much, I finally couldn't take it.

I refrain from using spells willy-nilly, but this was deemed necessary.  I was trying to sleep afterall.  My sleep is precious to me.  I need it.  I love it.  I unleashed my fury on him.  We all did.  He died pretty quick.

Afterward, I cast detect magic and found out his ring and cloak were magic.  I didn't care for the cloak though, I just wanted the ring.  It is a ring of protection.  It's wonderful.

Yesterday we rolled into town and found whoever we were looking for and got our cash for those damned eggs.  So now we sit in the town of Eltruel.  Hopefully things will go much better in the future.  

Hoard of the Dragon Queen (Sessions 4, 5 & 6)

These sessions were originally recorded 05/29, 06/05, and 06/12/2016.

You're Too Fat to Wrestle Me
As told by Hogan Savage, Professional Wrestler

After the whole ordeal in the woods, we went back to the town (I don't remember what it was called) and rested a few days.  I felt much better after a crowd gathered and heard the word of Kord.  I felt the power of Kord-a-mania!

We went back out into the woods (I'm not sure why) but found some more cultists.  They weren't good at playing fair, so we tied the survivor to a tree and left him there.  I tell you what, brother...Kord was with us that night, because a scalawag of a hill giant crept up on us as we slept.  Good thing the watch saw him, and I wrestled a hill giant.  Word.

I'm not really sure what happened, but another night we were attacked by cultists.  We made them regret their decision and interrogated the survivor, but he was mad.  I don't remember what happened to him.

At some point we were told to retrieve some dragon eggs from back at the cultist camp.  So we went back, and Miss Teagan had her dragon scout the encampment.  Not really sure what happened, but got a chance to wrestle some of the guards!  It was all good though - good chaps, really.  They were kinda fat, and I gave them some calisthenics protips.  Then they told me where the army went and where the dragon eggs were.  I let them keep the gold I won from them, just to brighten their day.

Teagan had her little dragon look inside the cave, but everyone was mad at me for some reason.  She said there was a dragon lady and some other guys inside, but not that many.  I'm not sure what the problem was, but they told me it was a bad idea to go talk to her.  I waited a bit, doing jumping jacks in the camp...then they told me they were going to turn me invisible and I had to go get the dragon eggs.  I'm not sure who suggested that - it might have been me.  Well?!  I'm the guy for that kinda job!

I went inside and grabbed the eggs.  No one saw me, but I heard something move once.  Then I left with the eggs.  The others were waiting outside the cave, so I surprised one of the guys with an invisible hug!  He was surprised, but I wasn't invisible anymore.  Then, we said bye to the guards and left.

Hoard of the Dragon Queen (Sessions 1, 2 & 3)

These sessions were originally recorded 05/01, 05/08, and 05/15/2016.

Greenest in Flames
As told by Hogan Savage, Professional Wrestler

"It's time to get down, brother!!

Here we were, minding our own business...when suddenly a ton of kobolds become a problem.  Turned out that the town we were coming into, Greenest, had a bit of a dragon problem, too.  Rough.

So I did what any respectable wrestler would do - I hid in the bushes until one of them came close enough for me to get.  After a few punts, and the others doing their work, we managed to get some of the frantic townsfolk to talk to us.  All they wanted to do was go to the keep.

We had to rough some fellas up who were trying to break in though a drain pipe.  Enough is enough, brother!  We took the important looking one to the ... magistrate, or whatever he was.

I tried to get them to see the light of Kord, brother...but they were worried about the dragon taking out their mill or something.  After some consideration (and some rest) we agreed to find out what was going on with the raiders - turns out, they were dragon-worshipping scumbags!

Now, everyone knows bad dragons have to go.  

Turns out some guy was kidnapped, and we had been charged with finding him.  I don't really remember his name, but he was some kinda monk.  Found some cultists in the woods, hid in the bushes again.  Some of the others stripped them and put on their silly gear - not THIS Kord-amaniac!  
We followed the directions the kobolds gave us after I applied the Iron Claw.  We were led to a small camp, and figured our guy was inside.  The ladies dressed me as a prisoner, and we got in.  Have to remember to let the ladies do the talking.

I sat with the prisoners until no one was looking, then snapped those silly chains.  Kord's the power, brother - you best get you some!  The ladies and the others wandered around the camp, and the cultists were too stupid to figure it out.  Eventually, they came back with our guy, the monk - and all the other prisoners and I began to climb out of the gully.

I didn't even get to test out my moonsault!"

Hoard of the Dragon Queen Campaign Open!

Welcome back to the Sword Coast, intrepid adventurers!  This season we begin with the first published adventure for Dungeons & Dragons, 5th Edition - Hoard of the Dragon Queen!  It's time to get down and dirty with the Cult of the Dragon, but please be advised that this season will contain spoilers for the adventure, so if you haven't played it yet you may wish to avoid the RPG Campaign Updates.

However, if you've already played it (or don't intend to, or intend on running it) then you will be amused at the ridiculous antics of our ridiculous player characters.  Serious / Not Serious play is where we live, so expect over the top characters and equally ridiculous reactions to events in game.  Our Dungeon Master is no less than the Reverend Greg, and he's been preparing for 5th Edition since launch and has already ran an awesome campaign last year based on the Basic Set.  We got 55.5 hours of play time just with the introductory box set and a Player's Handbook!

The shared experience of these adventures is what's going to make them classics, almost instantly.  I'm really looking forward to this, and we even have a few new players this season as well.  This shows how anticipated the new game is, and the strength of the new line to draw in players who have never played an RPG before.

All our campaigns this season share the same setting, as we've "nested" them together to create a stronger narrative.  This is another important aspect of the draw, and helps spread enthusiasm to other game lines.  Our version of the Sword Coast will definitely be changed, and we'll catalog all such new additions at the end of the campaign as normal so there will be a reference guide for any such changes.

 As I've already mentioned, I personally am super-stoked about being able to play this campaign as a player.  Big thanks to Reverend Greg, who's devoted his time to preparing and running the game and committed to running the season's game for four months.  To our new players:  we're so happy you've decided to join us!

Game Day this week will be in overdrive, as we've got some catching up to do from last week.  Our internal meeting took up too much time last Sunday...but that's ok.  A small backlog will help us avoid the "we're caught up" blues and give your wizards, dragons and professional wrestlers a good reason to try to kill each other.

Just remember - it's not the size of the wrestler that counts, but...no wait, that's not true.  The size of the wrestler does count, so stack all the bonuses you can find and get ready to do battle with the followers of Tiamat.  For our characters, an interesting career opportunity emerges from the strife of the Sword Coast.

It's not every day the gods give you a dragon to wrestle. So just accept it, and know that no matter what happens it is a feat of strength that will surely garner the attention of the gods themselves.  When the hits go down, you better be ready - or you'll get bodyslammed.

Dungeons & Dragons & Miniatures

For the past few years, the Wargate hasn't done much with miniatures.  In the heyday of Games Workshop's rule, games were going all the time and projects marched out with due speed and reverence.  Since then, we've tried lots of different games, each one of them requiring the normal buy-ins, considerations and other investment we put into our games.  Sadly, though they are great fun, other than Flames of War very few of these games have had all that we demanded from it.

What exactly have we been looking for?  It's not like Ronin sucks as a game...far from it.  In a word, immersion.  The 'nested' effect of the games we had played previously provided a common backstop for everyone to inhabit, and create that shared narrative we enjoyed so much.  However, intellectual properties being what they are, the game companies that have provided us with so much fun over the years became inimical to said 'fun'.  I'm happy to report that we bucked that trend.

So we've set some long term plans into motion that's going to bring the focus back to miniatures.  We've talked about our plans for Dungeons & Dragons before, but things are heating up as we close in on Season 2.  So it's time to get real, as it were...and put the rules where our collective mouths are.


Frostgrave will start in Season 2 alongside Dungeons & Dragons Attack Wing.  These, like the others we've had lately, will be linked (at least in setting) to our RPG game.  All the rules and the campaigns will be discussed when the season begins, because that's not what this article is about.

What I'd like to address instead is how this has opened up our selection of models to include pretty much anything and everything we want.  For our new fantasy battles, we'll be using the myriad worlds of D&D...including, if we wish, homebrew games.  At first I was skeptical about this, but I realized something -  D&D was essentially just a battle game.  Sure, it's got a lot more depth now...but that's how it started.

We now have the ability to literally create any army and run it in a battle game...literally anything.  Derro, yuan-ti...whatever.  However, the army still has to be built.  Style choices still have to be made.  For example, most of our orcs going forward will be Mantic Orcs painted grey, and a few bright green Pathfinder minis.  To that end, we've finally finished organizing most of the fantasy / medieval models into the system we now use.  Once you get used to the new categories, it should be very easy to find exactly the soldiers or monsters you want.

We'll also be taking this time to go about updating the gallery with an ACTUAL gallery consisting of shots from our current collection...probably as we do each unit's rules.  This gives us a great opportunity go back to our collection and really get some use out of our new photography equipment.  The goal here will be to get each painted miniature on the site, creating a reference point for our game masters to see each model available in the collection!  We can finally get this blog back on track for being a great place to see miniatures.

I also want to mention, our club has great rules writers.  As of now, the Wargate's ruleset for these miniature games will be the ONLY one we need concern ourselves with, as we are our own 'general assembly' as it were and support ourselves.  We'll be making all our rules addendums for the various games we use available online (hopefully in pdf format once most are done) as Kings of War and Hail Caesar! will need certain unit's information.  The final number of lists and force selections will be as numerous as our miniature boxes...

We have such freedom now to game as we wish without being on a rulebook treadmill.  My own enthusiasm for miniature gaming and the hobby in general has burned bright since this new revelation.  We are taking responsibility for the rules that are used at our tables, and will be a proper steward for fun and games.  Certainly, we can't go back to the way it was before.

D&D has been the cornerstone of this club since it's beginnings more than 20 years ago, so let this be a lesson to all of us.  Remember not to overlook resources that may have been there all along.  Anyway...don't let IP and product brand loyalty get you down.  There are alternatives.  Do your own game.  Use whatever is at hand, and don't get discouraged.

Rulebook Ruminations: Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Player's Handbook

I kept up with the development of 5th Edition from the very beginning.  Dungeons & Dragons is close to my heart, and I was very eager to see what solidified on this.  Veterans and refugees from the Edition Wars will know what I mean.  I wanted to wait until I had a chance to play with it to make any rash decisions, and the Wargate just finished a two-season (six month) campaign using the launch materials in the new Basic boxed set, together with the Player's Handbook.  Now after all that, and despite all the forebodings and ill omens, I can say without reserve that I very much like the new game.

The physical book is beautiful, as is to be expected.  Matte and gloss hardcover, full color interior.  Very nice, as all Wizards of the Coast publications always are.  The price point is $49.99 MSRP, though that might be stretching it for an item like this - especially if WotC intends to pop a new edition if five or so years.  If you are fixed on this, Wizards, see to it that fifty bucks remains the standard for some time to come, and that quality does not diminish.  Remember, you are competing with yourselves and the 2000 launch of 3rd Edition.

Anyways, the meat of it.  Not a whole lot has changed really.  The basic mechanics of the D20 system haven't changed, and really if you break it down it's all it how the information is presented.  A lot of rules have been streamlined, and combat isn't nearly as complex.  However, a lot of the material we're used to using has been changed or shuffled away.  This streamlining limits the system's ability to adjudicate things on its' own and a lot more is left to DM interpretation.  I know there are sets of gamers who like this sort of thing but by and large Gatekeepers don't care for it - but this didn't diminish our enjoyment of the ruleset by much, if at all.

Classes always change between the editions.  In this volume, there is a single principle that binds all the class mechanics and choices.  Each class is well balanced against one another, even as we might rail against spellcasters slinging 1d10 damage at will - but as gameplay progresses you will see that's not really any different from the other classes.  As the player classes create the basic game experience for the players, it's important not to downplay this balance - this is a key concept.  Under certain situations, something can seem very overpowered, but give gameplay a chance to show you how limited you really are.  A lot of things folks would normally scoff at isn't really an issue, as the dice roll.

Gone are the lists and lists of Feats (good luck on those) and most options are built into the class choices instead.  There are several variations of each class, and it gives a good spread of the flavors of previous editions, with warlocks making pacts and sorcerers with mystical bloodlines.  In addition, there is a big change in the philosophy of how the game should play seems to have changed.  The actual gameplay in combat is not a clone of some boring MMO, as 4th Edition was prone to feeling at times.

For six months, we played using only the Player's Handbook and the Basic set.  We had one TPK, and the DM did change the scenario for the second party.  I'd say that was a pretty good run for the entry level materials, and we're firm believers in 5th Edition now.  I can say I'm eager to complete the collection and explore the new adventure tomes.

We might need a few more of these Handbooks for the table.

Heroes of the Sword Coast Campaign Log

We begin our 5th Edition journeys with Reverend Greg at the helm of the new series of adventures, The Rise of Tiamat.  The Basic box set has a ton of cool adventures in it, and the DM decided this is where we should begin.  Straight from the box set and the new editions of books (as they are released) comes the Reverend's tale of terror and tyranny...of dragons.

The City of Neverwinter, 1489 D.R.

In these desperate times, struggles to retain normalcy after so many disasters threatened to destroy it.  To this city come our brave adventurers, determined to take on the world and forge their place in it.  They come from many backgrounds, but all share one thing in common - reverence for the Platinum Dragon.

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Heroes of the Sword Coast is a campaign for Dungeons & Dragons, 5th Edition.  The campaign will utilize the new Basic Set, as well as the Player's Handbook and other basic rulebooks.  This season  kicks off the new edition with a bang, and heading forward we'll be tackling the first adventures to be published for the new edition.

Heroes of the Sword Coast will dovetail with the club's other Season 1 campaign, Tyranny of Dragons.  As players achieve the goals of the battle games, they will be granted boons - various bonuses and boosts that will apply to their Heroes player characters.  In this way, our games become "nested" - a trend that will be continuing throughout the coming campaign seasons.

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Current Player Characters
Total Party Levels: 20

• Axelbjart McElfatrick, Lawful Good Human Paladin 4
• Raine Copperleaf, Chaotic Good Pixie Monk 2 / Warlock 2
• O'thun'udun (Dennis), Good Tiefling Fighter 2 / Sorcerer 2
• Axelkirk McElfatrick, Lawful Good Skeleton Cleric 4
• Tod, Good Kobold Cleric 4

Deceased Player Characters

• Mehmet / Betsy, Lawful Good Dragonborn Monk 4
• Grimely Goronorok, Chaotic Good Half-Orc Fighter 4
• Zinge, Lawful Good Half-Orc Dragon Blood Sorcerer 4
• Boris, Neutral Good Human Druid 4
• Gnash Crump, Lawful Good Gnoll Fighter 2 / Cleric 2

Disbanded Player Characters

• Lydia, Neutral Good Halfling Rogue 2 / Bard 2

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Campaign Log
Total Game Time: 55.5 hrs

The Lost Mines of Phandelver
(Season 1:  01.04.15 to 03.29.15)
Total Session Time: 32 hrs

Our characters need hops to brew beer, so head to Neverwinter to sell some Blue Dragon Ale.  What this simple, mundane trip leads to is an adventure they weren't really looking for, but managed to find anyway.  Seizing the opportunity to both aid others and secure the money they need to get some really good hops, the characters venture out.  Where they go, the light of the Dragonfather shines on the oppressed...

• Session 1 (01.04.15)
• Session 2 (01.11.15)
• Session 3 (01.18.15)
• Session 4 (01.25.15)
• Session 5 (02.08.15)
• Session 6 (02.22.15)
• Session 7 (03.08.15)
• Sessions 8 & 9 (03.15.15 & 03.22.15)

The Lost Mines of Phandelver
(Season 3:  07.12.15 to 08.02.15)
Total Session Time: 9.5 hrs

Our characters need hops to brew beer, so head to Neverwinter to sell some Blue Dragon Ale.  What this simple, mundane trip leads to is an adventure they weren't really looking for, but managed to find anyway.  Seizing the opportunity to both aid others and secure the money they need to get some really good hops, the characters venture out.  Where they go, the light of the Dragonfather shines on the oppressed...

• Sessions 10, 11 & 12 (07.12.15, 07.19.15 & 08.02.15)

Following a failed set of negotiations with the inhabitants of the Lost Mines, most of the adventurers were never heard from again.

Beneath the Lost Mines of Phandelver
(Season 3:  08.30.15 to 09.27.15)
Total Session Time: 14 hrs

This time, a paladin, a skeleton and a gnoll encounter a cluckromancer and a pixie warlock under the sacred Tree of Cocks.  The decide to incorporate and create a traveling religious experience, leaving converts to the Truth of Torm all over the Sword Coast.

• Session 13, 14 and 15 (08.30.15, 09.06.15& 09.13.15)
• Session 16 (09.27.15)

After a series of failed officiations, all the monsters in the mines are killed and their stuff is taken.  For Goodness.

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Campaign Resolution

As the players leave the mines of Phandelver and reach the surface, they are greeted to the sight of a blood moon on the horizon.  Though they must bury their companion Gnash, they are a lot richer - and have great plans for the future.  We'll return next year to find out what kind of hilarity derails thier plans, but for now Phandelver is safe.  That's important because our PC's have a 5% stake in the mine there.

Heroes of the Sword Coast (Session 16)

From the Journal of Raine the Pixie

(09/27/15)

5:32

We take a rest and eat a meal of dragon meat.  As we awaken in the evening we hear the sound of the giant chicken, so we go out to find the skeleton and a wizard behind him.

The wizard says that he is looking for his friends.  He says his friends made the best Blue Dragon Ale ever.  His name is Mal, and he decides to investigate the mines with us to see if he can find his friends and the Black Spider.

We discover a goblin after venturing down the tunnel and intimidate him into telling us where we can find the Black Spider.  We tell him to leave the mine, but he runs in the direction we are headed.

After venturing into another room, we find a wizard who seems to Charm McElfatrick.  He tells McElfatrick to leave, and we chase him as he starts to do so.  I slap him and ask what he's doing.

The party heads back to fight the wizard, who Blinks out and the goblin takes off running.  We chase him down and kill him.

6:40

Just then, a bunch of undead come around the corner, followed by the wizard.  We battle the wizard and win.  We take the scrolls and a few other items we find.

We continue on and find a chamber that we enter that is cast into magical Darkness.  We are attacked by spiders and the tiefling is beaten down twice, but we revive him.

After we defeat the spiders, we see a drow wizard hanging on the ceiling that tries to Web us.  We manage to fight and kill the wizard and a doppelganger that showed up.

We find a bunch of treasure in the next room.

D&D Realms: The Forgotten Realms

At one point, I actually read comics.  Sometime in the late '80's, before I had gotten into gaming proper, I had a run of X-Factor and Solo Avengers.  I didn't collect very many, but the ones I had were some of my favorite pieces of literature when I was about nine years old.  Within these hallowed tomes, there were mysterious beckonings from another world posing as mundane advertisements for something I didn't really understand.  Those old Advanced Dungeons & Dragons advertisements are what initially drew my attention to this wonderful hobby of ours, and one of the first ones I remember are the old ads for the Forgotten Realms.

Ah, nostalgia.

Despite all those ads and the very real interest they held for me, I wouldn't actually see anything from Forgotten Realms until I got my hands on Menzoberranzan about 1993.  From there, it spiraled out of control for a bit.  Even though I had cut my teeth on Greyhawk and Dragonlance, the world of Faerun started to gain momentum within my gaming circle - especially after the very popular Dark Elf Trilogy caught on.  So, the trend goes.

The revised Forgotten Realms boxed set (with Elminster on the cover) was my first proper setting for the whole line.  It's set after the Time of Troubles, and the "Grey Box" is set before said event.  Little did we know this would set the trend for moving the setting forward with each edition...but it's continued into 5th Edition - and Faerun is a much weirder place.

The Time of Troubles was used to explain all the differences between 1st Edition and 2nd Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.  During 3rd Edition, Faerun pretty much had leveled out after this cataclysm and developed into a great campaign setting, one that finally seemed to get its proverbial droppings in the can, but did so by literally reshaping a large portion of the setting.  Then...there was 4th Edition.

I'm not going into the Spellplague and all that, as we'll get to it with that part of the story as we progress through the editions...but let's just say it was a retroactive continuity change that significantly alters the nature of the entire setting.  If you want a more detailed (and slightly speculative) view of the history of the Realms and how the settings changed within the fictional world, I recommend this thread from Candlekeep.  It's a great assessment of the lore, and also showcases how awesome Ao really is.

For the Wargate, the Forgotten Realms is going to be all these things, and possibly more if what Aldrick had to say is even remotely true.  Long ago I came to terms with the fact that these settings and games change over time - they have to, for as shared fictional universes they MUST change and grow as all "living" things must.  Each setting is it's own theater, and because of how we handle editions here each will have it's own ruleset as well.  In the end, this makes for a diverse and rather robust gaming experience.

For myself, I've enjoyed kicking the tires of the 5th Edition and the setting.  It's familiar, yet strange at the same time.  All the little changes are hard to keep track of.  It will be very interesting to see how it all plays out, but one thing's for certain - folks have wanted to go back to the original maps and setting for a long, long time.  The original box is often hailed as setting the standard for decades within the industry.  Among certain OSR circles, it's the foundation and ultimate expression of what this sort of item should be / contain.

I was not happy that the Forgotten Realms supplanted Greyhawk as the "default" setting, but I suppose I'm a holdout.  I'm not really a Drizzt fan, nor am I a fan of Elminster - despite going through a phase or two in High School.  I'm more of a Mordenkainen sort of guy.  Yet, I do have a lingering and honest fondness for the Realms themselves...and more people know about it them than any kingdoms on the Oerth.

Not to mention - the Realms are rife with wargaming possibilities.  From Battlesystem itself and the published modules that incorporate it, to the multitude of other rulesets from innumerable manufacturers.  There's plenty of good reason for us to use Hail Caesar!, Frostgrave, Kings of War, Saga, Lion Rampant, and that's not even mentioning D&D Attack Wing or Dungeon Command or Chainmail.  This is the part that excites me, and once we upgrade our camera equipment (sorry there hasn't been very many miniatures lately) there will be plenty of photos of shenanigans and other projects.

That's all for now.  Thanks for reading, and remember - not every drow miniature that dual wields is Drizzt.  In fact - none of them are.  None.  Zero.  Capish?

Heroes of the Sword Coast (Sessions 13, 14 & 15)

These sessions were orignally recorded 08/30, 09/06 and 09/13/2015.

From the Journal of a Chicken-Touched Fey

(08/30)

7:30

The party goes to meet Gundran after finding fliers looking for help.  We find Rockseeker in an inn.  He offers gold and a share in the mines to clear the evil from the tunnels.  

We head off toward the mine and find a town a day away.  We find Sildare in the inn.  He tells us someone was hired before but they 'left'.

We head to the mine to find Nezner, the Black Spider, and clear the minions out of the mine.  Outside the mine, we find footprints leading inside.  There, we found a large group of bugbears, an ogre and an orc.

(09/06)

7:30

Ser MacElfatrick spends the entire session converting two bugbears to Torm.

(09/13)

6:11

We sit in a room where we have defeated the bugbears.  There are three colored vials, 2 blue and 1 yellow.  They smell of flowers, so I put them in my pack.  The bugbears have fled, so we head off down the corridors to continue to search for the Black Spider.

We come into a large room and see that it is lit with torches.  As we are checking to see if this area would be suitable to rest in, one of the torchlights flies up and becomes a flaming green skull.  We end up having to battle this magical skull twice.  We feed the broken pieces to magical chickens to get rid of it.

We head down the hall and find a group of men.  We fight with them after a short conversation, and win.  One of the men converts to Torm after conversing with Ser MacElfatrick, the other runs off down the hall, wounded.  We give chase, and find the other man with a green dragon.

After a terrible fight with the dragon, Gnash has died and we are all injured.  We collect the treasure and tend Gnash's body.

Heroes of the Sword Coast (Sessions 10, 11 & 12)

These sessions were orignally recorded 07/12, 07/19 and 08/02/2015.



From the Journal of Lydia the Halfling 

(07/12)


Day 1

As we make our way through the mines, a door ahead of us opens and several ghouls come out to greet us.  Just as we finish them, another group wanders up ehind us.  They manage to hurt us all pretty badly but we manage to dispose of them.

We huddle in a room and try to mend our wounds.  We aren't doing so well, but after resting a few hours we patch up as much as we can.  We head deeper into the mines.

After traveling a short time we come upon a room that contained a flaming skull that hovered in the center above a floor littered with bones.  We fight the skull and win, but not without injuries.  We're not sure what it was.  We have to rest again.

(07/19)

Day 2

The next day we start out down a path that we have not been down.  We find a room that is covered in moss and fungus.  After much deliberation on if we are going into the cave, Betsy the dragon decides to enter the room iwth a wet cloth on his face.  He falls but manages to cross the room unharmed.  

The wizard burns a path across the room and makes it across unharmed as well.  When the rest of us try to follow, I get sick and start to retch and vomit.  So does the cleric.  We are slightly injured before we manage to make it out of the room.

After a few minutes we seem to be ok but the druid cast some spell on us to be sure.  We continue to the next room and stumble across a wraith.  We defeat the monster, and find a chest full of gems and books.  We take the things in the chest with us and rest for a while.

We find a room that has a beholder-like monster in it.  We defeat it.

We head further into the mine and find a room containing three bugbears and a doppelganger.  There is an attempt made to charm the doppelganger but it runs off.  The sorcerer Zinge goes after it, and we get ready to fight the bugbears.

The halfling throws some ball bearings on the floor in an attempt to throw our enemies off their footing, but after they throw some javelins at us we run up to them and try to hit them and put a rope over their head.

We defeat the bears, but there is no trace of Zinge.

(08/02)

6:42

We head off to see if we can find Zinge.  We find a room with two dark elves.  They have a dwarf sitting against a wall.

Heroes of the Sword Coast (Sessions 8 & 9)

These sessions were orignally recorded 03/15 and 03/22/2015.



From the Journal of Lydia the Halfling 

(03/15)


6:26

Betsy slaps one of the hobgoblins to wake him.  We ask him if he has seen Gundran.  He says that he saw him here, alive, yesterday.  We tell the two to run away and not return with friends.

7:05

We head into the hold and once more we fight a group of goblins.  After beating them, we are attacked by a group of two humanoids and a wolf.  Lydia tries to be clever and runs through a door to another room, but gets mauled by the wolf.

We manage to defeat the group, and hole up to rest for the night.

(03/22)

5:30

The next day we start to search the keep.  We find several golden objects anda  bloody suit of chain mail.  We also found a cask of exceptional Dwarven brandy.

Betsy finds a spear that he says fits very well in his hands.  Zinge finds a few weapons (swords) and we take them as well.  We continue to search.

In one of the rooms we hear growling and decide to check that one last.  

In a room that is close by, we find Gundran Rockseeker.  We heal him a little and then go to check what is in the "growling" room.

Most of the party waits outside and Betsy and Boris go to let the growling thing out.  It turned out to be an owlbear.  It fled the keep when they moved out of it's way.

Heroes of the Sword Coast (Session 7)

This session was orignally recorded 3/8/2015.



From the Journal of Lydia the Halfling





8:05

After defeating the dragon, we decide to go to our home and rest for the night before we head to the Cragmaw Keep.  On our way, we stop at Neverwinter.  After purchasing several supplies and other things, we head back to our houses to stay the night.  

The next day we head to Cragmaw Keep and reach the outer walls of the keep at nightfall.  We just walk up to the door and attempt to go in.

As soon as we enter, a goblin attacks us.  We make an unsuccessful attempt to drag it outside and keep it quiet.  Soon after that, we find ourselves fighting with a whole horde of other goblins inside the keep.  Half the goblins are killed and three of them put to sleep.

Just then we hear another group run up outside.  

The half-orc shouts at them "Stop!  We've killed all your friends!" but they pay no heed.

After a short fight with the goblins outside, we manage to capture two of the them.

So, now we have two hobgoblins and three goblins tied up.

Heroes of the Sword Coast (Session 6)

This session was orignally recorded 2/22/2015.

From the Journal of Lydia the Halfling

5:40

Back in the town of Phandalin, Zinge decides to go find the things required to summon his familiar and the rest of us go to stay at the inn.

6:30

The next day we head out toward Neverwinter.  The first day of travel is uneventful.  We make camp for the night and on the thrid watch, Boris is attacked by stirges.

We are all awoken by a scream and wake to see Boris (as a bear) trying to fight off the monsters.

6:45

We killed the stirge and then go back to sleep.  The next day, we go on traveling toward Neverwinter.  The day again is uneventful.  During the night, on the very first watch, Grimeley the half-orc hears a couple of orcs talking to each other.  He quietly woke the party.  Zinge uses telepathy with his owl familiar and is able to see that there are three humanoid creatures near us.

6:58

Grimeley is hit by a javelin that flew out of the woods toward him.  The orcs appear from out of the woods.  We manage to kill two of the orcs.  Then half the party takes off after the last one.  As they finish him, we go through the belongings that are on the orcs and take the rations they have.  

We continue to a place that had a sign that reads:  "Warning:  Zombies and Plant Monsters".

The dragon men decide to play music to attract the attention of whoever is in the town.  A druid runs out and tells us to stop.  he tries to get us to leave, but we manage to get  him to tell us about a dragon he needs help with.  He also writes down the directions to Cragmaw Keep.

We go to get rid of the dragon.  Upon a hill, we see a tower.  After checking inside to see the dragon, we decide to space out.  Then the dragon-men begin to make their terrible  throat-singing / didgeridoo music.

The dragon flies up out of the top of the tower.  As he flies above, Zinge uses his owl to attack the dragon.  Angry and confused, the dragon manages to grab the owl and bite off it's head.

Betsy manages to climb the tower just in time to see the dragon fly upward and begin to circle to see who is there disturbing and attracting him.  Meanwhile, Grimeley and I dive into the tower.  We move the dragon's treasure and attempt to hide it.

I set up a ringing bell on a string at a distance and start to try and lure the dragon into the tower again.  After breathing acid on Betsy, and trying to capture the sorcerer the dragon is finally convinced there is someone inside that he needs to go after.  The dragon runs around the tower and jumps on the roof of the cottage that is attached to it.  It begins to try and claw through the roof.

9:49

We all try and fight the dragon off while it tries to get inside.  

After it takes too many hits to the face, it decides to take off.

Heroes of the Sword Coast (Session 5)

This session was orignally recorded 2/08/2015.



From the Journal of Lydia the Halfling





6:11

We travel for a full day, then make camp on the trail.  On the second watch, we are attacked by an owlbear.  After a bit of disorientation and everyone running in different directions, the dragonborn manages to leap out of a tree on to the monster.  We take the time to kill the owlbear.  As the group catches up on rest, we cut off the claws then head to find the banshee.

8:57

We find the banshee's lair behind a fence of briars and go to speak with her.  We manage to convince her to give us a bit of information in return for a silver comb.  She traded the spellbook to a necromancer that was from the city of Erebor years ago.

Heroes of the Sword Coast (Session 4)

This session was orignally recorded 1/25/2015.



From the Journal of Lydia the Halfling





6:15

In another room we find three prisoners.  A wife from the town,  Mirena, and her daughter and son.  They tell us the Red Brand have killed their father.  After we kill the Red Brand we let them go.  

At a door in the next area we hear a person demeaning someone else.  We knock on the door and find two bugbears and a goblin.  We tell the goblin that the prisoners have escaped and that they need to go get them.  We pay the goblin to take us to Cragmaw Keep.

Before heading to Cragmaw Keep we go to check and make sure the prisoners made it back to town.  We find the bugbears stalking the farm that the people live at and manage to intimidate them into going back to the hideout.

7:30

We find out the next day that the Red Brand have left town.  We decide that we are going to try find a banshee for Sister Gorrell.  We head out to find her, keeping in mind she is very vain.  During the night we are attacked by a group of four ogres.

Heroes of the Sword Coast (Session 3)

This session was orignally recorded 1/18/2015.



From the Journal of Lydia the Halfling





6:19

We decide to stay and rest at the inn for the day.  The next day we head out to the manor to attempt to find the Red Brand.  

After bantering with a random human child, the dragonborn found a tunnel in the side of a hill.  This was purported to lead to the Red Brand hideout.

Not long after we enter the tunnel we find a creature that was once a wizard:  a nothic, which we kill.

7:57

We search the cavern futher and find a hidden door near the back.  Inside there are two rooms and there are red cloaks in one, which we all put on.  Then we head to the other room which contains (illegible).

We exit the secret area to check another place down another tunnel.  We find a wizard's quarters, as there is plenty of magical gear around.  There is a note that says the wizard has left.

D&D Realms: Mystara - The Known World

For the record, we are talking about the Known World...the Hollow World will get it's own discussion.

The Dungeons & Dragons game has a great many settings.  More than a few of them are what we'd call "generic" style fantasy, meaning there's not really anything setting them apart from any of the other worlds.  These are what I consider to be "basic" settings, or "normal".

Sure, each of these settings has a particular flavor all its own.  For instance, Greyhawk is Greyhawk, with the oldest gaming tropes fully integrated in the customs of the land.  The Forgotten Realms are The Forgotten Realms, replete with every real-world cultural facsimile totally assimilated into the world.  Then, we also have Mystara, the often overlooked "basic" campaign setting.

So...what's so nifty about what amounts to "just another" generic fantasy setting?  Mystara is linked to the entire series of Dungeons & Dragons modules, to make it as convenient as possible for new players.  The ruleset used (Rules Cyclopedia) has some nifty things that make it different from other settings, but how to quantify this difference?

In order to keep the three "basic" campaign settings separate experiences that don't simply mesh together, it's important to consider what might have been the motivation behind each of the three worlds.  I'm no insider, but after reading most of the material I feel I can speak to this point.  The main differences between Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk and Mystara is the overall tones or themes presented in each.

Forgotten Realms is High Fantasy, Greyhawk is Dark Fantasy and Mystara is Heroic Fantasy.  Heroes in this setting, following the built-in game rules and modules, will rise up to be leaders of the realms and eventually, perhaps, ascend to join the ranks of the Immortals.  That's the sort of story arc you don't get in most games, but it's pretty much part and parcel of Mystara.  Therein lies the second difference:  Mystara's scope is grander than the other settings in that as you progress through levels, your influence on the world is reflected in the Rules Cyclopedia's systems.

The Known World is also one of the more developed worlds, as far as published products.  The Gazetteer series of supplements each focus on an area of the world and expand it greatly.  These are some of the best products TSR managed to create, and that's why they cost an arm and a leg on eBay.  In addition to expanding the game world, the rules themselves get expanded in each as well.  It's a nice touch as this provides more depth to each specific area and to the game in general.

The realms, regions and kingdoms of Mystara are unique enough as well.   Almost all cultural stereotypes of the the real world are represented in the Known World.  Vikings, Mongols, Native Americans, Anglo-Saxon Knights, Romans...the list goes on.

Magic is at a high level, as there are flying airships in the world.  Dragons appear on wandering monster lists pretty regularly in the modules.  People trade subdued dragons and Rods of Cancellation back and forth at rather low levels (I'm looking at you, Horror on the Hill), but this isn't a bad thing as far as gaming opportunities go.

One final note:  the setting gives us the most freedom to conduct warfare out of all the other settings.  Sure, there are wars on other spheres - but the conquest part of the game is already assumed in the rules, and Mystara goes out of the way to provide plenty of land ripe for your armies to fight over.  We have a huge miniature collection, and you can be sure we want to use it.

Heroes of the Sword Coast (Session 2)

This session was orignally recorded 1/11/2015.



From the Journal of Lydia the Halfling





6:00

We find a human in the cave that tells us Gundran Rockseeker has been taken by the goblins to Cragmaw Castle.  We decide to take him back to the town with us.  As we head back out of the cave, we hear the sound of cracking timber and rushing water.

A flood from the stream comes rushing through the cave and washes the humans and dragonborn out toward the mouth of the cave.  They all seem to be hurt badly.  The rest of the group rushes forward to help them.  They are healed by the cleric and druid so they will not die immediately.

6:47

Silder the human tells us on the way back to town that he was a griffon rider, and one of three brothers.  They are trying to build the town up to be a city as it used to be.  We reach town and take the ale to the provisioner.  Silder lets the provisioner know that Gundran is missing.

We buy other supplies and head to the Lion's Head in search of javelins.  The Innkeeper tells us that there is a band of mercenaries in town and they are causing trouble.  He also tells us that a druid called Quilene Alderleaf, from and orchard northwest of town, might be able to tell us how to get to Cragmaw Castle.

7:00

We all get rooms in the inn after a failed attempt by Zinge to sell the ale to the innkeeper.  We spend the next little while enjoying a drink at the inn and listening to the tales of other travelers.

7:25

The next day we head to the shrine of Luck.  We had heard someone had been attacked while in the woods.  We find Sister Gorrell, the Shrine Keeper, to ask what had happened.  She tells us that she had some trouble bargaining with Agatha, a banshee.  She was looking for an old spellbook she believed Agatha to possess, belonging to a mage called Bogentell.

After we head back into town to talk with the provisioner again, we meet up with a group of four Red Hand mercenaries and start to fight with them.  The dragonborn, Nils and Boris are beaten almost to death, but we manage to defeat all but one.  The last Red Hand escaped.

8:24

I run to the shrine of Luck and ask for help from Sister Gorrell.  She returns with me to help heal the party.

Heroes of the Sword Coast (Session 1)

It's been a while since we updated the RPG Sessions.  We'll catch up over the next week or so, but we've not been idle.  This session was originally played on 01/04/2015 and began our 5th Edition gaming!

It all starts with a keg of beer.




Actually, let's do full disclosure here - it was a few kegs.  Several, actually.  Blue Dragon Ale, the trademark brew of some small time brewers living in the woods near Neverwinter, is packed and ready to go to town and be sold.  Yet the Brewers, as they are known, have plans for this haul's profit.

The Brewers have but a small shack where they brew their ale in the solitude of the forest.  Many are outcasts among polite society, being born of strange blood.  They have made peace with the forest, and are at home there, brewing their ale and living off the land.  The Dragonlord Bahamut is their patron, and they have built a small shrine nearby.  However, with the way darkness encroaches upon the land, it is clear something must be done to preserve their way of life.

Now, Mehmet / Betsy is tired of sub-par ingredients for their brew.  The first step, he insists, is that they make better beer.  With the money from this haul of Blue Dragon Ale, they can go to Neverwinter and find better hops and barley for the brew.  Once they have the best brew on the Sword Coast, the Brewers won't have to worry about the safety of their home and way of life amidst the chaos that embroils the region.

In order to make some more cash, the group agrees to travel to Phandalin with some other wares.  The wagon is loaded down, and the Brewers begin the first leg of their journey.  It doesn't take long before trouble begins.

A group of goblin bandits ambush the caravan, but the Brewers chase them back to their hidden lair.  The goblins are defeated and scattered, and the characters begin to look around.  Ahead of them is a goblin's cave...but the wagon is left unguarded.  After a short argument over what was more important, the Brewers prepare to enter the goblin warren...